Author Archives

Elizabeth Pelayo is the library media specialist at St. Charles East High School in St. Charles Illinois. She currently writes book reviews for School Library Journal. She is a member of the AASL AAUP Book Selection Committee. Also, she is a member of the nominations committee for the ISLMA Abraham Lincoln Book Award.

• Read & Relax: Summer Reading Challenge

  By Elizabeth Pelayo on 05/13/2022 • ( 0 )

  

  As the school year draws to a close, keep kids in the mindset of reading with a summer reading challenge.  Summer challenges are an outstanding way to motivate students to keep reading over the summer.  They have tasks to complete… Read More ›

• Stress Management Month: Ways to Promote This April

  By Elizabeth Pelayo on 04/15/2022 • ( 0 )

  

  The month of April is national stress management awareness month.  High stakes standardized testing begins this month, graduation and prom are on the horizon.  Not to mention just the everyday stresses of life at any grade level that you serve…. Read More ›

• Creating Book Award Buy In

  By Elizabeth Pelayo on 03/15/2022 • ( 0 )

  

  Book award season is upon us!  I love to see what books will be chosen from the gigantic amount of titles published each year.  I love seeing what the national and state committees pick, but I especially get excited for… Read More ›

• Perking Up Your Poetry

  By Elizabeth Pelayo on 02/08/2022 • ( 0 )

  

  In the spirit of the most romantic month of the year, I put together a list of some contemporary poetry collections to perk up your poetry sections this February.  In the last two years my high school students have been… Read More ›

• New Year: New You Book Challenge 2022

  By Elizabeth Pelayo on 01/12/2022 • ( 0 )

  

  Start the year and new semester with a fun and easy reading challenge! Students of all ages get excited about completing tasks. Gamification across content areas has helped encourage student participation for years. Bring the fun into the school library… Read More ›

• Movement for Manga

  By Elizabeth Pelayo on 12/09/2021 • ( 0 )

  

  Over the years my library’s graphic novel section has grown exponentially. What started as a few manga series collections has morphed into graphic novels from all genres and nonfiction areas. With all the growth and change it was time to… Read More ›

• Creating an Adulting 101 Section

  By Elizabeth Pelayo on 11/10/2021 • ( 0 )

  

  As students mature into adults there are certain life skills that they will need to be successful. They are progressing from dependent child to independent member of the world. Some of the most important things I have learned as an… Read More ›

• Advocating through E-Newletters and Canva

  By Elizabeth Pelayo on 10/14/2021 • ( 0 )

  

  Communicating the great things that we are doing in our school libraries is so important to advocacy.  Letting others know about the projects, new books, and countless other activities can be a challenge. When I thought about improving my communication… Read More ›

• Take & Go Craft Bags

  By Elizabeth Pelayo on 09/07/2021 • ( 1 )

  

  Sometimes we all just need a break from our laptops and Chromebooks. Sometimes we need a way to relax, calm our minds, and re-center our thoughts. For many students crafting is the answer. This year I created a new section… Read More ›

• Scheduling Library Spaces

  By Elizabeth Pelayo on 08/11/2021 • ( 1 )

  

  In my high school library we have always debated the best tool for scheduling our multiple checked out spaces in the library. We have yet to open, and I am still waiting to see if this school year will be… Read More ›